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Losing Your Driving Privileges Driver Services

Your driving privileges may be suspended (temporarily withdrawn) for a specified time period or until money owed is paid or a payment agreement is made; revoked (terminated) with no guarantee of reinstatement, or cancelled. In addition, under certain circumstances, the privilege to apply for a driver's license or instruction permit may be denied to an individual under age 18 for six months or until the driver's 18th birthday.

DUI – A person is considered to be driving under the influence if he or she has a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more, has used any illegal substance, or is impaired by medication. For more information on Illinois DUI laws, please refer to the DUI Fact Book. Under Illinois' Use It & Lose It Zero Tolerance law, drivers under age 21 who are caught with any trace of alcohol in their systems will lose their driving privileges. They also can be charged with DUI if they have any trace of other drugs in their systems or have a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more, or more than .05 with additional evidence proving impairment. For more information, please visit the Zero Tolerance page.

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) – Young drivers have certain restrictions if convicted of a moving violation or serious offense. For more information on the GDL program, please refer to the Teen Driver Safety section.

Failure to Appear – A Failure to Appear Suspension is entered against the driver's license and/or driving privileges of a driver who has been issued a traffic citation if the violation has remained unsatisfied. The suspension is entered at the request of a Circuit Clerk's office within Illinois or an equivalent agency from another state. The Secretary of State's office must receive a Final Disposition from the court/agency that requested the suspension. A reinstatement fee may be required in order to clear this type of suspension.

Parking Suspensions – A Parking Suspension is entered against the driver's license and/or driving privileges of a driver who has been issued 10 or more parking violations if the violations have remained unsatisfied. The suspension is entered at the request of a Parking Municipality. The Secretary of State's office must receive a Final Disposition from the municipality that requested the suspension. A reinstatement fee may be required in order to clear this type of suspension.

Automated Traffic Violations Suspension – An automated traffic suspension is entered against the driver's license and/or driving privileges of a driver who has failed to pay any fine or penalty for five or more offenses for automated traffic violations. The suspension is entered at the request of the municipality. The Secretary of State's office must receive a certified report from the municipality that requested the suspension that all fines and penalties have been paid. A reinstatement fee may be required in order to clear this type of suspension.

Failure to Pay Fines – A Failure to Pay Fines stop is the result of a request by an Illinois Circuit Clerk's office for non-payment of court-imposed fines. A Failure to Pay Fines stop is not a suspension of your driver's license and/or driving privileges and does not require a reinstatement fee. However, an offender will not be able to renew or be issued a driver's license until the Secretary of State's office receives a Failure to Pay Fines Receipt. If the violation is satisfied in Cook County, the stop cannot be cleared until the Secretary of State's office is notified directly by the court.

Deadbeats Don't Drive – A person's driver's license may be suspended under the Family Financial Responsibility Law for non-payment of court-ordered child support.

Tollway Violations/Evasions – A person's driver's license may be suspended for failure to satisfy fines or penalties for five or more toll violations or evasions. More information is available through the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.

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